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Movies that feel like The Prodigal Son (1981)

If you loved The Prodigal Son, the closest films we have are My Lucky Stars (1985), Project A - Part II (1987) and Hooper (1978). All three share The Prodigal Son's kinetic and witty feel, which is what we rank on before quality. 6 of the 12 picks below are included with a subscription right now on Criterion Channel, Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel and YouTube TV and others, checked against today's data.

A rich man's son believes himself to be the best kung fu fighter in Canton. Unfortunately, his father, anxious for his son's safety, bribes all his opponents to lose. After a humiliating defeat at the hands of an actor in a traveling theatre company, the son resolves to find a better teacher.

πŸ… 100% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 7.3 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Sammo Hung Kam-Bokineticwittyplayful

When is The Prodigal Son streaming? β†’

If The Prodigal Son hit the spot, these will too

My Lucky Stars poster
My Lucky Stars
1985 Β· dir. Sammo Hung Kam-Bo
β˜… 6.3action Β· comedy

Sammo Hung Kam-Bo directing both, with the same fingerprints on each

Two Hong Kong cops are sent to Tokyo to catch an ex-cop who stole a large amount of money in diamonds. After one is captured by the Ninja-gang protecting the rogue cop, the other one gets his old Orphanage gang, dubbed the "Five Lucky Stars," to help him. They don't like this much, but they do it.

Feels alike?
Project A - Part II poster
Project A - Part II
1987 Β· dir. Jackie Chan
πŸ… 73%β˜… 7action Β· comedy

Kung fu sits at the heart of each

The difference: Reviewed a good deal more coolly

Dragon is now transferred to be the police head of Sai Wan district, and has to contend with a gangster kingpin, anti-Manchu revolutionaries, some runaway pirates, Manchu Loyalists and a corrupt police superintendent.

Feels alike?
Hooper poster
Hooper
1978 Β· dir. Hal Needham
πŸ… 57%β˜… 6.4action Β· comedy

The same mix in both: momentum, then wit

Legendary stunt man Sonny Hooper remains one of the top men in his field, but due to too many stressful impacts to the spine and the need to pop painkillers several times a day, he knows he should get out of the industry before he ends up permanently disabled.

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Knight and Day poster
Knight and Day
2010 Β· dir. James Mangold
πŸ… 51%β˜… 6.3action Β· comedy

Playful action in both cases

The difference: 29 years apart, and the 2010s show

A fugitive couple goes on a glamorous and sometimes deadly adventure where nothing and no one – even themselves – are what they seem. Amid shifting alliances and unexpected betrayals, they race across the globe, with their survival ultimately hinging on the battle of truth vs. trust.

Feels alike?
The Interview poster
The Interview
2014 Β· dir. Evan Goldberg
πŸ… 51%β˜… 6.5action Β· comedy

Comedy built on momentum, twice over

Dave Skylark and his producer Aaron Rapaport run the celebrity tabloid show "Skylark Tonight". When they land an interview with a surprise fan, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, they are recruited by the CIA to turn their trip to Pyongyang into an assassination mission.

Feels alike?
You Don't Mess with the Zohan poster
You Don't Mess with the Zohan
2008 Β· dir. Dennis Dugan
πŸ… 37%β˜… 5.6comedy Β· action

Witty action, and it commits to that

An Israeli counterterrorism soldier with a secretly fabulous ambition to become a Manhattan hairstylist. Zohan's desire runs so deep that he'll do anything -- including faking his own death and going head-to-head with an Arab cab driver -- to make his dreams come true.

Feels alike?
Central Intelligence poster
Central Intelligence
2016 Β· dir. Rawson Marshall Thurber
πŸ… 71%β˜… 6.3action Β· comedy

Comedy with a pulse of play, in both cases

Calvin Joyner, a mild-mannered accountant whose high school glory days are long behind him, reconnects with an awkward pal from high school through Facebook. After meeting up, Calvin’s mundane life takes an unexpectedly thrilling turn when he's thrust into the world of international espionage.

Feels alike?
The Legend of Drunken Master poster
The Legend of Drunken Master
1994 Β· dir. Lau Kar-leung
πŸ… 85%β˜… 7.5action Β· comedy

Both built around martial arts

Returning home with his father after a shopping expedition, Wong Fei-Hong is unwittingly caught up in the battle between foreigners who wish to export ancient Chinese artifacts and loyalists who don't want the pieces to leave the country. Fei-Hong must fight against the foreigners using his Drunken Boxing style, and overcome his father's antagonism as well.

Feels alike?
Dragons Forever poster
Dragons Forever
1988 Β· dir. Sammo Hung Kam-Bo
πŸ… 67%β˜… 7.1action Β· comedy Β· romance

The same hand behind both of them: Sammo Hung Kam-Bo

The difference: Leans romance where The Prodigal Son does not

A hot-shot lawyer is hired by a Hong Kong chemical plant to dispose of opposition to their polluting ways. But when he falls for a beautiful woman out to stop the plant, he is torn in a conflict of interest and asks his trusty friends Samo and Biao to help out at least until they discover the true purpose of the plant.

Feels alike?
Police Story poster
Police Story
1985 Β· dir. Jackie Chan
πŸ… 90%β˜… 7.5action Β· crime Β· comedy

The same preoccupation in both: martial arts

The difference: Plays it as crime more than The Prodigal Son does

Officer Chan Ka Kui manages to put a major Hong Kong drug dealer behind the bars practically alone, after a shooting and an impressive chase inside a slum. Now, he must protect the boss' secretary, Selina, who will testify against the gangster in court.

Feels alike?
Project A poster
Project A
1983 Β· dir. Jackie Chan
πŸ… 81%β˜… 7.2action Β· adventure Β· comedy

Both trade on momentum more than on being action

In late 19th century Hong Kong, the British may rule the land, but the pirates rule the waters. Coast Guard officer Dragon Ma is determined that his beloved Coast Guard will not be made a fool of.

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Beverly Hills Cop poster
Beverly Hills Cop
1984 Β· dir. Martin Brest
πŸ… 83%β˜… 7.4comedy Β· crime Β· action

Both trade on wit more than on being comedy

Fast-talking, quick-thinking Detroit street cop Axel Foley has bent more than a few rules and regs in his time, but when his best friend is murdered, he heads to sunny Beverly Hills to work the case like only he can.

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In the mood for more kinetic?

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The best-reviewed films that share The Prodigal Son's defining feeling.